The Seam IV 5

Chris topping out on the Seam IV 5. Team in the background on Invernookie III 4

'Sam' at the base of Fiacaill Couloir having fallen 80m from just below the obvious col. Self rescued with help from the other team in shot and walked out with a broken wrist.

 Photo from Adam (Hughes Mountaineering) of myself just past the crux on the Seam IV 5

Returning the compliment - Adam and his team plus a couple of soloists in Fiacaill Couloir II/III

Alpine day on Creagan Cho Na

  Checking out the abseil options

Huge cornices over Recovery Gully

Abseiling in to the left of Anvil Gully

Chris on the top groove of Anvil Gully IV 4

Carrie topping out on Anvil Gully IV 4

Chris descending Recovery Gully to check out some other work options

Back on North Buttress IV 4

Approaching the base of the route on good snow

 Climbing in parallel on the top pitch

 Abseiling back in to Glencoe

Zig Zagging through the MIC

Carrie enjoying Zig Zag Direct III

This week I'm working with Chris who's making his final preparations for his MIC reassessment. The forecast was terrible with a challenging avalanche forecast so we kicked off on Zig Zag Direct (III) on Grear Aonach before descending via the Zig Zags (II). In the event conditions were fairly benign and even pleasant at times and we had a great climb despite the soggy snow.

The view east through Glencoe as far as Schallion

Topping out on Grear Aonach

Looking west to Loch Leven

Chris short roping us on the descent of Zig Zags II

Scottish Winter Mountaineering & Climbing courses

Learning to lead on Golden Oldie (II) on the West Face of Aonach Mor

A few photos to whet the appetite for the forthcoming Scottish winter season. I'll be working my 9th season running winter mountaineering and climbing courses from Fort William and Aviemore. Please get in touch if you fancy a wee adventure...

Enjoying the delights of a bucket seat belay!

Bad weather arriving on the Cairngorm plateau

The 4 star Curved Ridge (II) in Glencoe

Digging snow holes on a character building day!

Steep mixed climbing on Fingers Ridge (IV 4) in Coire an t-Sneachda

Ski mountaineering on Ben Nevis prior to a 1300m descent

 Topping out on Green Gable in the Lake District

Enjoying the sunshine on a classic mountaineering day

Curved Ridge (II) under heavy snow conditions and a blue sky

The stunning Smith's Route (V 5) on Ben Nevis

Descending to Fort William after a big day on the Ben

Invernookie & Twin Ribs

 Large avalanche in Coire an s-Sneachda, Off the slabs to the right of Jacobs Ladder

For the final day of Chris' MIC assessment preparation we walked into Coire an t-Sneachda to look at teaching leading. The crag aprons were covered in deep snow and a large avalanche had come off the slabs to the right of Jacobs Ladder. A few teams had managed to get to the buttresses and were evacuating plenty of snow as they climbed upwards. However the easy gullies were out of the question so we retreated to the Twin Ribs area on the Fiacaill Ridge to look at short roping, ghost roping, soloing and stance management. late afternoon and with Chris as ready as he'll ever be the decision was made to make a speedy ascent of Invernookie III 4 to finish the week on a high. We'd already seen a team on the route who'd been doing plenty of clearing and there was a safe approach so we solo'd to the start of the difficulties and made a very snowy ascent in 2 pitches before a comfortable walk down by headtorch. Best of luck next week Chris and thanks to Jon Gupta for being a willing guinea pig

 Chris running through his ropework on the Twin Ribs

 The approach slopes to Invernookie III 4

Chris & Jon swimming up the first pitch

Jon enjoying the top pitch

Avoiding the weather...

 An atmospheric Rothiemurchus Forest on Wednesday

This week I'm working with Chris and Jon Gupta to help prepare the former for his MIC assessment. The weather, high winds and avalanche conditions have forced us stay low for the last couple of days. Wednesday was snowing heavily with gale force winds. We walked up the ski road to have a look at the snowpack and check out a bit of navigation but failed to even get to the ski area. The snowplows had given up and we had a fun battle with the elements before opting for the sensible option and returning to the valley to drink tea! The forecast for Thursday was deteriorating with the freezing level rising to over the summits and the winds increasing but we awoke to sunshine. We spent the morning on the banks of the River Spey perfecting Chris' ropework and the belay transitions from series to parallel and back. After lunch we drove up to Glenmore Lodge to try and find a steep snow bank to put everything into context. The thaw had made dramatic inroads into the previous days snow and we ended up on a steep slope of heather looking in detail at ropework. 

Tree belay

Sadly we later learned that all the helicopter activity above us today was due to a significant avalanche incident in the Chalamain Gap, just over a mile away, which unfortunately resulted in the deaths of three climbers. (Daily Record and SAIS reports)

 Chalamain Gap avalanche (picture from Scottish Avalanche Information Service)

A buried Fiacaill Couloir

 Chris pulling over the crux chock stone in Fiacaill Couloir

This week I'm working with Chris putting the final polish to his preparation for his MIC assessment next week. We've also been joined by Jon Gupta as a mock client. Today was a personal climbing day so we were looking for slick ropework, well organised stances and climbing on grade III terrain. Walking into Coire an t'Sneachda we were greeted with an unbroken expanse of whiteness. The best option seemed to be around Fiacaill Buttress where the approach slopes had been slightly scoured and the copious amounts of windslab could be avoided. Several other teams had the same idea and it was a crowded entry gully until the everyone spread out on to Fiacaill Couloir II/III, Invernookie III 4 and the Seam IV 4. We stayed in the Couloir which gave a plesent climb with an awkward crux over the chockstone with plenty of unhelpful snow.

 More images from a graceful struggle!

 

 Pulling back into balance above the crux

A straightforward romp to the top of Fiacaill Couloir

Montane athlete & MIC guinea pig Jon Gupta modeling several layers of their clothing!

Short roping workshop

Chris leading us over a tricky little step

This week I'm working with Chris to help him prepare for his MIC assessment. We've been joined by Jon Gupta who has volunteered to be a 'client' for the week to make things as realistic as possible. Things were looking pretty snowy and windy in the Cairngorms and the ski road was shut. A quick stomp up and we headed in to Coire Ciste along with most of the Glenmore Lodge groups. Our brief for the day was to explore the variety of techniques an instructor would use during a mountaineering journey. The Ciste Crag gave plenty of options for Chris' ropework to be put to the test with short roping, pitching, lowering and abseiling. The strong south easterly winds were moving a lot of snow today and there were some very deep drifts of soft slab to negotiate on our descent.

 Battling with the ropes in the strong winds

 Well wrapped up for the conditions

 Short roping to the next challenge

A quick tap to seat the nut correctly

Jon enjoying challenging Chris with lots of questions!

Working on movement skills on a little step

Chris pulling through a steep little groove

Jon bridging up a tricky little problem

Wading through the windslab

Chris descending from the Ciste Crag

Ciste Crag - perfect training ground